


Sovereign Soil

by Rivestra



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-09
Updated: 2009-08-09
Packaged: 2017-10-05 12:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivestra/pseuds/Rivestra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur's being careless with other people's property.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sovereign Soil

**Author's Note:**

> [Comment_fic](http://community.livejournal.com/comment_fic/) (only slightly overgrown) for [christinchen's](http://christinchen.livejournal.com) prompt _Merlin, Merlin/Arthur, "You are mine!_. Much thanks to [ailise](http://ailise.livejournal.com) for the quick beta.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** Written purely for fun; no profit or harm intended. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.

Arthur slammed into the wall, head cracking hard against the stone and breath flying right out of him. Merlin didn't seem to care, but oh, he _noticed_. No, Merlin wasn't missing a single thing right now: not Arthur's panting attempts to regain his breath or his wide, still-curious blue eyes; not the way the black-nosed sheep edged away from their display and the shepherds didn't look in their direction at all.

Merlin certainly hadn't missed the blood covering Arthur's side, saturating his surcoat, the force of it slowed to a trickle by Merlin's hand and a flash of golden fire from his eyes. Nor the way Arthur trembled in his grasp, pressed hard between the brick and Merlin's body, posture submissive but still full of fire. Still defiant and righteous.

Merlin had to make him understand. He had to.

He twisted his fist in Arthur's tunic, pressing hard into the healing wound. A voice growled out, _"You can't keep doing this,"_ and he barely recognized it as his own. _"It's reckless, and it's irresponsible and it **Has. To. Stop."**_ He sucked in a shaky breath and drew closer, nose-to-nose with his idiot of a prince.

Arthur blinked off the blood dripping down his eyelid and met Merlin's stare evenly. Suddenly enraged, Merlin brought up a trembling hand. He saw his own gold reflected in Arthur's eyes and then the wicked slice that had opened his prince's skull was gone, vanished like it had never been. Arthur swayed, but kept his focus.

Fury clawed it's way up Merlin's throat, demanding to be let out. He wanted – needed – to howl and rage at that implacable façade, so he did, flinging his anguish and fear right into Arthur's face. _"You belong to Camelot, you moronic git! You don't get to just throw your life at every passing terror!"_ His voice was high and shrill and he didn't care. _"You're their's._ Your blood and your sweat and your tears are promised to _them. Promised to **me.**"_ He was sobbing with it now, breath tearing through him, the words pouring out, desperate to change the stoic expression on Arthur's face. _**"You are **_mine_, you ass!"_

Merlin gulped in a great gasp of air and felt the earth beneath him offer up its steadying strength. "You are Mine. Mine to protect. Mine to serve." He grabbed Arthur's face in both hands, and clutched it tight. Arthur didn't try to get away and that let Merlin slow down. Deliberate now, calmer, but no less intense, he continued, "Mine, you understand? You are my _prince_ and my _**king**_ and I…" and once again, he was shouting. Trying to control it was useless,_"… I won't let you throw yourself away before you even get there!"_

"We," Arthur said calmly, breathing the word across Merlin's face. His breath was cool against hot skin, drying the tears Merlin hadn't noticed shedding. Merlin stared at him, confusion trumping anger for the moment.

Arthur reached out with both hands, cradling Merlin's head gently and wiping the rest of the tears away with his thumbs. "Before _we_ get there, Merlin. Together." Arthur kissed Merlin's forehead, then drew him in close and whispered promises into the nape of his trembling neck.

Merlin felt the words more than heard them, really, all along his spine and down into the earth beneath them. He thought Arthur might have said, "And I'll try to be more careful with your property along the way," but he couldn't be sure.


End file.
